NordicSnow

Ever since I bought my car, if i leave it running in neutral and come back the entire cabin has the smell of burning clutch. At first I assumed that somehow my driving had gotten a lot more rubbish then normal, but literally everyone who drove my car complained that it's clutch was burning. This has been going on for a long time, but it usually isn't bad enough for me to care. Until recently.

I had to drive down to where I go to school in Nashville, and while driving back to Michigan I pulled off the highway and stopped at a stoplight, just to see smoke billowing from my engine compartment and a very strong smell of clutch. I stopped and waited a bit before continuing, and for the rest of my drive every stop was greeted with a strong smell of clutch.

So I already understand that my clutch is shot and will need a replacement before it completely goes out, but what I don't understand is how the clutch is burning in the first place. Any help would be appreciated!

Loki

iTrader: (1)

A burning clutch isn't really a sustained condition unless it's brand new or something. If you can smell it, expect to not have a clutch later that day. So, are you sure it's the clutch?

NordicSnow

Unless there is something that smells awfully similar to clutch, then i am pretty sure its clutch. I got my dad to drive it as well, and he said it smelled like burning clutch as well. It is always possible that I'm wrong, but yea it smells like clutch.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Does it slip? Say if you are at about 5000rpm in 3rd and you stomp on the gas, does the rpm rise without a corresponding rise in speed?

Likewise, is you're in 1st with your clutch all the way down, on level ground, does the car creep forward?

Does it shift OK?

Is this the original clutch the car came with?

There are basically 3 failure points:
- the clutch pedal is adjusted such that even when fully up, the clutch is not fully engaged. Read up on clutch pedal adjustment, it's pretty straightforward.
- the clutch hydraulics, master or slave cylinder has gone out. Usually this has other symptoms like the clutch pedal getting soft and difficulty shifting
- the clutch or flywheel has foreign material on it, or is horrendously out of alignment. This is not a sustainable condition. Possible the pressure diaphragm has failed, but there isn't really a good way for that to have happened.

If it really is burning, you may be wearing into your flywheel also and given that this has been going on for a while, you may want to have it replaced at the same time as the clutch, if you go that route.

NordicSnow

One exploded alternator belt and a massive overheat later and I think it's safe to say that clutch was not to blame for this. Thanks so much for your help tho!

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Eek, how much of an overheat?

sKenDread

Just to add to LOKI's descriptions:
I had the same thing happen on my S4 RX7. It turns out that the release bearing had worn so bad it smelled terrible. There was also a side effect of having a loud grinding sound when the clutch isn't engaged. I replaced the entire clutch assembly.

I found the clutch pad/disc thingy was almost gone as well. I think generally you would replace the entire clutch assembly?

I was told that the previous person had not fitted the clutch correctly and I was lucky nothing else was damaged.
It's not too hard to do if you have the tools and time.

NordicSnow

Thanks for the help, but I can honestly say it is not the clutch that was burning. The Alternator/water pump belt had been burning for a while (obviously) and due to a lack of the traditional slipping belt squeal it snapped on the highway going 75 mph, leading to a pretty massive overheat after two minutes of driving without me noticing. The car still starts, but I'm not sure about the condition of the coolant seals.

sKenDread

Oh dear, Ouch. I hope its OK